International Scholars

From UBC undergraduate to doctoral candidate at the University of Cambridge, Milind is passionate about research and community outreach, and inspired to make a difference.

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For Jessica, UBC’s International Leader of Tomorrow Award has given her the support and tools she needs to reach her “full academic potential at university” – her words, not ours! The fact that she will be spending the summer studying Indigenous medicine in Nicaragua is just one example of how the award has opened doors.

“I feel like I can truly explore my academic passions freely, knowing that there is a team of individuals who will always encourage me to keep making dreams become realities. I truly feel like I could accomplish anything I set my mind to because of this community.”

Since arriving at UBC, Jessica has taken that feeling to heart, pursuing her interests and seeking out every opportunity to get involved. She has been a Jump Start orientation leader, a habits course facilitator, and a Nutrikids educator, not to mention a gymnastics coach and a member of the Agape Street Missions.

“I feel I have become a more motivated, tenacious, and humbled person because of this award. I have met incredibly inspiring fellow Scholars as well as major leaders of this university who have continued to amaze me on a daily basis. Through the help of the support system in this community, I have learned to believe in myself and my academic and professional abilities in ways I could never have imagined.”

Originally from Israel, UBC International Scholar Eliya had always dreamed of pursuing her academic goals abroad. “Israel has always felt like a small and isolated country and I wanted to study somewhere that will help me make a global impact,” she explains.

When Eliya received the International Leader of Tomorrow Award, she saw it as a life-changing opportunity to study at a leading institution with extraordinary students from all over the world.

“Meeting so many new people helped me get a fresh perspective on things. Listening to the experiences of my fellow Scholars and learning and growing with them has been the most rewarding experience of this whole journey.”

For Eliya, being an International Scholar has given her the tools she needs to reach her goals. “I am thankful to UBC for giving me this incredible platform to help me reach the pinnacle of success in the future.”

Joses was driven to study civil engineering so that he could use his education to help developing countries on his home continent of Africa. When he arrived at UBC, he found a welcoming community and endless opportunities to get involved.

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When Nishat hung a poster of UBC on her wall in Bangladesh, she never imagined that she would go on to become a UBC International Scholar, deliver her convocation address, and end up pursuing grad studies on UBC’s Okanagan campus.

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“Before coming to Vancouver, I lived in five different countries. Living in these countries, I was exposed to a plethora of culture, music, and food,” explains UBC International Scholar Rose.

She cites Vancouver’s nature as a driving force behind her decision to apply to UBC. “I enjoy nature and serving the community. In Mali, my classmates and I would go on school trips to a village called Sibi,” Rose recounts, noting that engaging with community members, hiking, and rock-climbing were integral parts of the trips.

At her core, Rose describes herself as “an advocate for justice, equality, and truth,” citing her father, a representative for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), helped her discover that calling.

“One of my most inspiring experiences was getting the opportunity to escort my father to a campaign in Kenya, where he was promoting the importance of treating preventable diseases. From that point, I also had a passion of making a difference in the world.”

Driven by her interest in neuroscience and Rwanda’s history, Rose is now studying Psychology on UBC’s Vancouver campus. “I have family members who are survivors and victims of the Rwandan genocide. Seeing how they coped with the trauma was a true fascination of mine,” she explains. “My goal in life is to make a difference, regardless of where I am.”

Andreas is grateful for the chance to make a difference and study the subject he loves.

“Receiving this award gave me great pride, reminding me that someone who hadn’t met me believed in my ability to create change and supported my vision.”

In June 2017, shortly before his twentieth birthday, UBC International Scholar and budding screenwriter Roberto won the “Audience Choice Award” at the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase for Bittersweet – a project he worked on with two of his closest friends and artistic partners.

“The camera has the ability to capture and eternalize fleeting moments that would otherwise dissolve from memory. As a result, it acts as a time machine that allows us to revisit history and potentially liberate it from the curse that has bound it to repeat itself.”

Find out how Roberto started making and writing films, and what’s next for him at UBC and beyond.

“Before coming to university, I thought I had to commit to a single one of my passions. When I came here, I realized that there is no end to what I could explore,” says UBC International Scholar Carolina.

“I could say the Scholar’s community is the single most important factor to my university success. It is there where I have found the friends that have now become my family, my support system, my laughter, and above all, my inspiration.”

Giving the opening speech at Imagine UBC in front of more than 8,000 students, starting her own radio show, and learning how to fire-dance are just a few of the highlights so far from Carolina’s time at UBC.

“I have been part of theatre productions, gone surfing and camping around beautiful British Columbia, worked as a research assistant, learned how to play the guitar, and developed a deep love for biking. I have also had the most eye-opening conversations with world-renowned professors who are at the forefront of their fields. I am infinitely grateful and privileged to be able to learn and play in these unceded territories of the First Nation’s peoples,” she reflects.

After graduation, Carolina plans to pursue a career in education with a focus on social justice, fine arts, and the environment. In the distant future, she dreams of piloting her very own yellow propeller plane.